Capture The Avatar: Azulon's Plot
by Jet Set Yoyo
Summary: Fire Lord Azulon orders his troops across all four nations in search of the Avatar. This time in a new way. Children are being taken from their homes and being treated like prisoners, by chance Zuko and the others are taken as Azulon desperately searches.
1. The Capture of Zuko

Capture The Avatar: Azulon's Plot

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of the characters. If I did, Zuko would've ended up with Katara not Mai.

Summary: When all of Fire Lord Azulon's efforts to locate the missing Avatar fail, he decides that the young Airbender must have died and been reborn. But with countless deaths of people from various nations, children included, he could no longer be certain that the Avatar would be a Waterbender. He ordered his troops across the nations, locating any child with exceptional bending skills for their age. Gathering them all up, he would locate the Avatar that way. With Ozai's suggestion of passing Iroh over as Fire Lord, Azulon orders his son Zuko not to be killed, but to join the thousands of children locked away in prison cells where he eventually meets the gang and few new faces along the way.

* * *

><p>It all started with a suggestion, a harmless suggestion, from one of the Fire Lord's advisers. If they couldn't locate the Avatar by their current means, perhaps he or she had passed on and a new one had been reborn; simple enough. However, no one expected Fire Lord Azulon to take it to the lengths he did. Calling together all his troops, he spread them out to all four nations in search of bending children. A big risk. The children were to be tested on sight, those who showed any inkling of bending powers beyond their years were to be taken in and brought to a newly built prison for testing.<p>

It was only days after when his youngest son Ozai knelt before him to ask him a very important favor. A request that would ultimately influence the outcome of the rest of the war.

"Prince Ozai, what is it you want," Azulon's voice echoed throughout the chambers.

"Father, you must have realized as I have that with Lu Ten gone, Iroh's bloodline has ended," Ozai spoke up, a small smile dancing upon his lips. Azulon listened, his hands folded together and his brow furrowed in thought. "After his son's death, my brother abandoned the siege at Ba Sing Se and who knows when he will return home. But I am here Father and my children are alive."

"Say what it is you want," Azulon growled, growing irritated with his son's stalling. He was a busy man, even visits from his children should be kept short and to the point. A nation didn't run itself.

"Father revoke Iroh's birthright. I am your humble servant, here to serve you and our nation. Use me," Ozai concluded, bowing deeply.

Fire Lord Azulon stood from his throne, anger radiated from his wrinkled face. A long, bony finger pointed outward at his son in accusation.

"You dare suggest I betray Iroh, my first born? Directly after the demise of his only son," flames rose up nearly to match those that surrounded the platform which held the throne. "I think Iroh has suffered enough but you, your punishment has scarcely begun!"

Ozai only looked up in horror towards his Father. He thought for sure this would be a grand opportunity to claim the throne. Iroh was an old fool, his only concerns were tea and other frivolous things such as Pai Sho. He would not grovel for his Father's forgiveness, that was a weakness and he could not show his Father that he was weak; he wasn't weak. It was incredulous that his Father had not seen it his way, Fire Lord Azulon was a great leader but Ozai feared he must've been losing his skill in his old age.

"Prince Ozai, your punishment will fit your crime. You will know the pain of losing a first born. I will have my men take your son Zuko, do not dishonor me nor your brother again! Get out!"

Azulon was in the last few years of his reign. At the beginning of his plan, only children which displayed bending powers beyond their years were collected from each of the remaining nations in a desperate search for the Avatar. However, in his older years Azulon was not the strong leader he used to be. His frailty from old age and long years of tyrannical domination over his country and around the world led to his psychological demise. His troops were wary of their leader though still followed him blindly, just not to the same degree. Talk circulated often of Azulon's mental state amongst soldiers; those weary of battle and longing to return home no longer felt proud to carry out his commands but did so only to keep their honor but that didn't mean they weren't half-assing the job. The Fire Lord, still cross with his youngest son Ozai for dishonoring him and his elder brother Iroh, decided rather than kill the Firebending child separating Zuko from his family would do the same. It was the next night when a small group of Fire Nation troops appeared at the doors of young Zuko's chambers.

Little Zuko knew nothing of the danger he was in, being only eight years old. On a dark night, he jolted from his bed to find Fire Nation soldiers in his room. Adrenaline coursed through the young boy's veins but not for the reason he thought. The Fire Nation wouldn't hurt a young prince, surely, or so he thought so the only reason they could possibly be here to pick him up instead of his parents would be that something bad had happened.

"Where's Mom," the young prince inquired while staring up at the men through bleary, sleep filled eyes.

"Don't worry about her Prince Zuko, come with us," the leader of the group spoke up, edging towards the boy cautiously. When the young prince did not lash out or resist, the man clad is his army uniform leaned forward to pick the boy up and carry him away. They were almost clear of the palace when his Mother Ursa met them at the gates.

"Where are you taking my son," she demanded, scared, yet a hint of venom laced her voice. It was wise not to get between a Mother and child, even the soldiers knew well to play it the right way. However, the tone in his Mother's voice caused Zuko to become fearful, unsure of what was going on. He fidgeted in the soldier's grasp, straining not to break down in tears.

"Mom!"

"Zuko, don't be frightened."

"Lady Ursa, there has been an attack. We fear Zuko was the target and are bringing him somewhere safe by the Fire Lord's wishes," one of the soldiers explained, stepping forward between the one holding Zuko and Lady Ursa. "We were told not to inform you or Prince Ozai in case the attacker makes it to the palace."

The explanation didn't suit Ursa but if it was Fire Lord Azulon's orders, she could not question it and live to tell the tale. Reluctantly she moved aside staring after the soldiers although her eyes never left her son staring back at her in confusion and fear. When he was gone from her sight, she broke down into tears and ran back for Ozai. Maybe this was all just a misunderstanding. Ozai would fix it, he would bring their little boy home immediately.

When Zuko's gaze could no longer see his Mother he began to fight the grasp of the soldier; kicking, punching and spurting short bursts of fire to the best of his ability to get free. He wanted his Mother and he wanted her now. If anyone could keep him safe from this attacker, it would be his parents. However, the strength of a mere eight-year-old could not match that of a trained Firebender well into his thirties and thus Zuko was stuck watching the Fire Nation disappear before his eyes as they boarded a vessel and set out to sea. He was deposited soon after into a small holding cell with nothing but a bare bed and a toilet. The raven haired prince was much too distraught now to do anything but quiver in the bed, hugging his knees to his chest; he even refused the food brought to him.

The relatively short voyage, only a day and a half, lasted a lifetime for the raven-haired boy. He sat dully in his cell, staring blankly at the wall. He wanted his Mother, his home, his bed. Heck, he'd even take his sister Azula right now. Nothing about this place was familiar and he was feeling incredibly homesick. Had he been years older, fully trained, and paying attention he would have noticed that the rocking of the ship had died down and the dull roar of the engine ceased. Instead he was discontent just staring at the wall and willing himself not to cry. He wasn't a baby and he wouldn't give anyone a reason to say so. Azula would just make fun of him later for it anyway. This would all be cleared up soon and he'd be home with his Mother, Father, and Sister. Mother said not to be frightened anyway so he definitely couldn't cry.

Footsteps clanged against the metal floor, growing closer to his tiny room. When the soldier appeared in front of the door and began to unlock it, Zuko couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the tiny glimmer of hope that everything would be OK. The rough handling the man displayed shattered that hope instantly and he rubbed away a single stray tear before anyone would notice.

This time instead of thrashing about in a fruitless effort to escape, the amber-eyed child took in his surroundings. They had left the ship and entered a strange building he had never seen before, on an island he also had never seen before. This certainly wasn't Ember Island and he probably wasn't going to his family's vacation home. Tall menacing metal structures made up the entirety of the place and once inside he couldn't help but gawk at the sheer number of cells inside; this place was a prison.

"Why am I going to prison," he tried to ask with courage, instead it came out as a tiny, uncertain squeak. His transporter didn't grace his question with an answer, nor did he even bother to look at the confused child. Zuko was bewildered completely by this man's nonchalant manner towards a child of royal blood, not that he used it much to his advantage. Unlike Azula who seemed to flaunt that fact every moment she could.

Before he could ask again, they stopped in front of a cell on the third floor and the door was unlocked and opened. He was tossed in like garbage before he could even register what was happening. The door slammed shut in his face as he scrambled to his feet, pounding on it long after the guard had left.

"Wait! Please! I want to go home, this is a mistake," he shouted continuously until his voice grew hoarse and he could scream no more. It was then that he realized he wasn't alone in the cell. A figure shifted on the floor in the dark corner. Zuko turned around, plastering himself to the door and hoping what little light shone in from the tiny window slot would help him find whoever was in here. "Who's there?"

"Screaming isn't going to make them let you go. We're stuck here. We're stuck and we're never getting out," came a rather nonchalant voice from the darkness.

"You're lying! I'm Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, they can't keep me here. My parents will hear about this and come get me. This is a mistake," he ranted, though his voice trailed off as disbelief and uncertainty wormed its way into his thoughts. "This is a mistake, isn't it?"

The figure, moving into the light to reveal himself as a chestnut-haired boy about the same age as the Prince himself, shook his head. Though the light leaking into the room was dim, Zuko caught the gesture and fought to control the tears threatening to fall. His Mother would save him, she always did.

"I wish it was...," the boy returned, averting his gaze sadly. He'd been in here for a month and a half now. He wanted to go home as badly as anyone else here but crying and screaming about it only made the guards angry; you didn't like the guards when they got angry. He rubbed the scar on his right arm absentmindedly at the thought. "Zuko right? I'm Zaiden."

"Oh...hi."

"You're weird. C'mon, sit down. If the guards see you by the door they'll be mad. It's safer to just hide over here. Usually they just leave me alone if I stay here," Zaiden explained, motioning for the young prince to come closer. Slowly and reluctantly Zuko came to the other side of the room but didn't sit by the other boy, instead he stubbornly plopped himself down in the opposite corner and hugged his knees to his chest. Zaiden shrugged and went back to his own corner though Zuko never bothered to look at him.

* * *

><p>Just a plot bunny I wanted out there. Those of you waiting on Where'd You Get This Kid! Don't shoot me, I'm working on some research for another chapter. Reviews would be nice; I'm not entirely sure whether or not this will be continued. I'm always up for good constructive criticism as well.<p>

In case anyone is curious, Zaiden is pronounced Zaye-den like Jayden or Hayden. He's my first character that I've had and developed for over thirteen years now. While he's my most developed character, he still has a ways to go. Other characters of mine will make appearances, but since they're less developed they won't be staying around as long.


	2. Spirited Boy and the Blind Girl

Capture The Avatar: Azulon's Plot

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of the characters. If I did, Zuko would've ended up with Katara not Mai.

Summary: When all of Fire Lord Azulon's efforts to locate the missing Avatar fail, he decides that the young Airbender must have died and been reborn. But with countless deaths of people from various nations, children included, he could no longer be certain that the Avatar would be a Waterbender. He ordered his troops across the nations, locating any child with exceptional bending skills for their age. Gathering them all up, he would locate the Avatar that way. With Ozai's suggestion of passing Iroh over as Fire Lord, Azulon orders his son Zuko not to be killed, but to join the thousands of children locked away in prison cells where he eventually meets the gang and few new faces along the way.

Note: I made a change to the first chapter. Originally I had the children being brought to the Boiling Rock for interrogation, however I've decided that Azulon would have built a new prison to house the thousands of children taken. If the Boiling Rock was occupied by children, where would all the war prisoners and traitors go? Besides, a high security prison is unnecessary to hold children who can be intimidated into complying quite easily. So, they're on a different island in a newly built prison instead. It's only filled with children though that doesn't make the guards go any easier on them. No other changes were made except a few corrections of spelling/grammar I had caught.

* * *

><p>Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation troops marched along. Some were on foot, some in metal tanks, and others rode on Komodo Rhinoceros's. They were a long way from the Capital of Ba Sing Se; a seemingly impenetrable fortress that even Iroh the Dragon of the West could not conquer. The Fire Nation's seige on the city had ended not long ago and the armies stationed there had since returned home. Now their destination was not Ba Sing Se, but a small village along the mountain side.<p>

Dawn was soon approaching and they were growing near. The village came into view just as the sun peeked over the tree line, illuminating the land. With their flaming fists readied, they marched into the village. The commander of the troops demanded to see the leader of the tiny village, when no one stepped forward he only smirked behind his helmet. A silent command was given and flames leaped from every fist and foot of the soldiers present, setting the town ablaze in a matter of minutes.

Men and women alike dove towards the intruders, waving swords and earthbending to protect what was dear to them. Some cried out and ran for their children before hurrying to safety. Among the wreckage of an ashen house, a young boy cried beside his Mother who had been crushed by the falling house before she could escape the blaze. Oblivious to everything else around him, the child continued to cry and barely registered the Fire Nation soldier grasp onto him and toss him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Unlike many of the other kidnapped children, this one had spirit; he bit and fought until he could move no more all the way back through the Earth Kingdom. Every moment he could move was another escape attempt. He didn't cower, often at least, under the cruel gaze of the Fire Nation soldiers; he would not be swayed. These men were the evilest of evils and would pay for his Mother's death, as well as the other villagers who hadn't made it out alive.

"You'll pay for this. Mark my words," the boy spat, his hands and feet bound tightly as he sat a little ways away from the campfire. The soldiers had all heard that fifty times a day since they had taken the boy from his country bumpkin home in the forest and laughed wholeheartedly before returning to their dinner and casual conversations. Still, being ignored didn't deter the boy. "You just wait. I'll cut your throats out as you sleep."

"Such violent words for a weak little earth brat," a deep, venomous voice spoke startling the child. Craning his head to look at the Commander who stood almost behind him, he mustered up the best glare he could but the Commander was not phased in the slightest. "You'll do well to shut your mouth. We can just kill you."

Technically, they weren't supposed to kill any of the captured children. Not before they were confirmed not to be the Avatar. Not that any of the soldiers really cared who they were grabbing nowadays. They went places on leads then grabbed whoever they felt like grabbing. It served well as a reminder to these people that they were above them, not to mention is satisfied the boredom they felt being away from home for so long. After the children were denied as the Avatar, whatever was done with them was free game for the soldiers. Killed, tortured, sold off into slavery, or on the rare occasion they were let go. But that didn't mean the boy had to know the rules to their little game.

"I'm not a brat. My name is Jet and you better remember it because I'll remember you," the dark-haired boy growled lowly. "When I find the right time, I'll do you in just like you did my Mom. You'll regret it, believe me."

"Don't flatter yourself child, what makes you think you'll be able to kill me. You couldn't do a thing when you were needed most in your village. You're worthless and weak, you'll never even land a strike against me," the Commander laughed and walked away, leaving Jet to glare after him. He didn't get any food that night either.

Three days later the troops passed by yet another place, this time a fairly decent sized town. Jet was rather grouchy they kept him under guard on the outskirts while the rest of the soldiers went it for a raid. It was disgusting the way they ransacked a whole town to come away with a child or two; so many people homeless, injured or dead for a meager cause. He was still rather oblivious to their ultimate agenda and had yet to figure out why he had been grabbed from his village or where they were headed. Bitter hatred and rage still bubbled relentlessly under his surface clouding his better judgement and his ability to pay attention to detail.

He would have been fighting them or at least throwing insults their way but the shaggy haired boy hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. It was taking most of his energy to not fall asleep before the other soldiers returned; he had to admit he was curious who or what would be taken from this place. More people might mean a better escape plan.

That idea was shattered four hours later when the soldiers returned, two boys his own age and a very young girl were in tow. He curled his lip at the boys; sniveling and crying like babies all the way. What interested him was the girl. She had to be only three or four and by the looks of the vacant expression in her eyes she was blind. Why would the Fire Nation want to kidnap a blind little kid? She'd be more of a burden than a decent hostage. As night fell, he allowed himself to fall asleep despite his curiosity towards the girl.

Meanwhile in the prison, morning hadn't met young Zuko and his cellmate Zaiden well. Black bags under the Prince's amber eyes spoke more than he did at the fact that the boy hadn't slept well, or at all for that matter. Zaiden didn't say anything on his side of the cell, he had experienced the same thing his first few days in the prison and nothing but your own resolve could help you through the transition. Technically he still never slept well but had become accustomed to it by now.

Zuko sat with his knees still hugged up against his chest as if he hadn't moved an inch since the previous night. His cellmate stared at him briefly. Unspoken words dying on his tongue before they even had a chance, disturbed by the clatter of boots nearing their cell. The flood of light into the small room blinded both boys for only a matter of seconds before semi-darkness returned, in its wake was two small bowls of mystery slop they supposed was breakfast and two cups of water.

"Hey, come get your food," Zaiden piped up, walking the few short steps to the door to pick up his bowl. No movement came, nor a reply so he turned to the Prince with an inquisitive stare.

"You can have mine, I'm not hungry," the downcast eight-year-old spoke in a hoarse whisper, his eyes never leaving the spot on the floor in front of him.

"Hunger strike? You're just going to get sick if you do that. Whatever, if you really don't want it..."

"How can you just sit back and take this like it's just another regular day. We're in prison! I don't know about you but I haven't done anything wrong. I don't belong here," Zuko's voice heightened in hysterical rage. His amber eyes met with Zaiden's own golden one's and held there. Confusion, betrayal, and hurt written all over him.

"I'm not...I'm just trying to survive. You can't do anything if you're sick and hungry you know. Best to keep up your strength until opportunity arrives, you know," Zaiden resigned, taking his bowl back to his corner as he spooned some of the gunk into his mouth. He figured Zuko must have understood because he got up for the first time in hours and retrieved his own bowl before settling back down on his side of the room. Words of hope really weren't his thing but he really did feel bad for the prince.

"Sorry," the word was whispered as though it wanted to be missed but Zaiden caught it anyway.

"Don't worry about it. If anything your parents are important people so they'll get you out a heck of a lot sooner than I'll get out. My Grandma probably couldn't even get here to get me out."

The small talk did well enough in distracting the pair's thoughts. It couldn't cure the hurt but it could take their minds off of the prison and the awful food.

"What about...your parents? Won't your Mom and Dad come for you," Zuko inquired curiously, pausing momentarily to gulp down the spoonful of sludge. Zaiden shook his head and settled his gaze on the wall.

"My Dad went away to fight in the war. My Mom is...my Mom is dead."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

A bell clanged, causing Zaiden to set down his finished bowl and stand up. He motioned for Zuko to do the same. After several minutes of standing in silence with nothing but the clanging of the bell to drown out any other sounds, the door opened and Zaiden filed out obediently. Zuko trailed after, wondering why they were leaving the cell but happy enough that they were. Maybe they were being set free. Maybe his parents and Zaiden's Grandmother had come for them and they could both go home. He kind of like this Zaiden guy, he wasn't nosy at all, he wasn't a big baby. and he wasn't mean like Azula could be. Some of the things he said were really smart, like the eating to keep up his strength even though he really hadn't had an appetite.

Opening his mouth to speak Zaiden quickly raised a finger to his lips, interrupting the young prince before he could even utter a word. His hopes dimmed ever so slightly; why did he have to stay quiet? Around them lines and line of children were being herded out of their cells, crushing Zuko's hopes completely; they weren't going home. Unless everyone's parents had all shown up at the same time, then that would be a miracle! He wasn't so naive to believe it though. Descending two flights of metal staircases, they were all lead out into a large yard made entirely of metal. There was no water, no dirt or grass, just metal. From a door fenced off by electrified metal several children trudged in followed by more Fire Nation soldiers. Zaiden sighed softly; this must be a new shipment. Zuko still marveled at the endless sea of metal, half awed and half disgusted.

* * *

><p>Quicker than most of my other updates. This one is stuck in my head for now, apologies to anyone waiting on other fics of mine. Reviews are kindly encouraged, constructive criticism is highly favored. I'm still developing the plotline for this as I type.<p> 


	3. Maybe The Fire Nation Isn't So Bad

Capture The Avatar: Azulon's Plot

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of the characters. If I did, Zuko would've ended up with Katara not Mai.

Summary: When all of Fire Lord Azulon's efforts to locate the missing Avatar fail, he decides that the young Airbender must have died and been reborn. But with countless deaths of people from various nations, children included, he could no longer be certain that the Avatar would be a Waterbender. He ordered his troops across the nations, locating any child with exceptional bending skills for their age. Gathering them all up, he would locate the Avatar that way. With Ozai's suggestion of passing Iroh over as Fire Lord, Azulon orders his son Zuko not to be killed, but to join the thousands of children locked away in prison cells where he eventually meets the gang and few new faces along the way.

* * *

><p>The prison guards called it recess, but nothing about this was recess. Even if a majority of the population of the prison consisted of children, no one was playing around. Most cried, some sat somberly around the yard while others looked longingly at the sky. Zuko unconsciously kept close to Zaiden, wary of his surroundings, the guards, and even the other children. Looking around, many of them were no older than themselves; ages ranging anywhere from five to twelve. It depressed the young prince seeing them all caged up.<p>

"Hey...Zaiden," Zuko piped up looking over at the chestnut haired boy who sat silently on a bench near the edge of the yard.

"What's up," Zaiden tilted his head towards his cellmate. He stared at the other boy, waiting for a reply. This kid wasn't so bad for a supposed spoiled prince-type. In fact he didn't seem so spoiled at all. Inwardly Zaiden was thankful for that, he was pretty patience and cool-headed but if this guy ended up being whiny and annoying the whole time then he would inevitably end up losing that cool.

"The kids that just came in, there's a blind girl...why would they take a little blind girl? Why are we even here anyway?"

"The Fire Lord is looking for the Avatar, or so I heard the guards saying. They think he's a little kid. Kind of stupid I think but whatever. I'm no Avatar so hopefully I can go home soon."

"The Avatar? But I'm not the Avatar...why would they bring me here...," Zuko cast his amber eyes to the metal grating that served as the floor. Now he was thoroughly confused. The Fire Lord must have known he wasn't the Avatar, heck he could barely firebend much less bend any other elements. It was a constant disgrace to his Father. Zaiden noticed the sudden look of confusion and frowned.

"But hey, that's just what I thought I heard so maybe I'm wrong. Who knows."

Across the yard, not far from where Zuko and Zaiden sat were several of the children that had just been shipped in via warship. At first none of them wanted to move, afraid of the place they had been left in, but after several minutes of being left to their own devices they all went their separate ways.

Jet walked idly around attempting to discover some sort of way out but much to his own dismay there didn't seem to be. The whole place was just a giant metal fortress. He huffed indignantly and ended up by the bench Zuko and Zaiden sat on. Propping himself against the wall nearby, he just observed the other kids around him as well as the guards keeping watch. This place was horrendous; he couldn't stand it. Nothing but anger bubbled inside him, festering like the bacteria in an unattended wound. Looking to his left, he realized that the blind girl from before had been following him, why didn't he notice that? Staring at her, he almost jumped when she spoke.

"Why are you staring at me," she demanded though her child voice made it far less menacing than she wanted it to be.

"How'd you...never mind. Why are you following me?" A look of incredulity crossed his face instantly; how did she even know that?

"You were there, when they took me," she countered, furrowing her eyebrows. She wouldn't admit she was scared, nor that she wanted to stay close to someone vaguely familiar either.

"Ok then. Well, I'm Jet."

"Toph Bei Fong, don't forget it." Jet raised an eyebrow then grinned. He liked her, she was pretty funny for a little kid.

Zuko couldn't help but overhear the both of them talking; they weren't all that far away. These two weren't firebenders, in fact, a lot of the kids here seemed to be from all over the world. Some had green clothes, some red, and some blue.

"Hey. Hey Zaiden, there's that blind girl!"

Zaiden turned, catching sight of the green-clad girl. She was dressed in some sort of rich elegant clothing though it seemed a bit dirty now. He wasn't sure what Zuko's sudden fascination with the handicapped girl was and so he shrugged and went back to daydreaming. He barely noticed the raven haired prince get up and trudge over to the pair near the wall.

Stopping in front of them, Zuko suddenly felt shy. He'd never seen nor talked to anyone from a different country much less anyone who didn't have access to the palace before. Sometimes he'd say hi to other kids when his family went to Ember Island but that was only briefly.

"What do you want," the young girl demanded, knowing Zuko had approached them. He looked her up and down, wondering if she really was blind. She did just figure out he had come over without that other boy saying anything to her. This intrigued him; he was rather curious by nature. When he didn't answer right away, the blank eyed girl huffed angrily and stomped on the ground. There wasn't any earth to bend so she just came off as an angry little girl. "I said, what do you want?"

"Uhm...are you an earthbender," he answered her finally, continuing to stare at her without shame. She seemed surprised by his question but soon nodded, crossing her arms across her chest. Zuko felt a moment of excitement, having now met an earthbender. He liked this thing called recess, even if they still were in prison. "Hi, I'm Zuko from the Fire Nation. What's your-"

"Listen Sparky, I don't know why you're talking to me but you're bugging me," she interrupted, a little alarmed now that she knew he was from the Fire Nation. There was no way she'd just hand over her name and be buddy-buddy with a kid from the nation that just raided her town and took her away. She didn't even know if her parents were alright. That and her parents had always told her to be wary of strangers because she couldn't see. Zuko looked down and bit his bottom lip, he hadn't expected her to just reject him like that. He was only trying to be friends.

"I just wanted to say hi. I've never met anyone from outside the Fire Nation before," he admitted dejectedly. His gaze then fell on the older boy beside her. His hair was wild and he looked angry but not towards him specifically, just angry. After a moment, he decided that talking to the girl was a lost cause and that maybe this boy would be a better try. "Uhm, what's your name?"

"Jet. Why're you talking to me? You're from the Fire Nation so shouldn't you be hanging out with Fire Nation kids?"

Zuko couldn't understand it. Why were these kids so upset about him being Fire Nation. He had always been taught that the Fire Nation was the best and that other nations strived to be like them; that they were the example to the rest of the world. But from what he could see, everyone was just afraid of them.

"Why? Can't I be friends with people from the other nations too? I didn't know that was wrong."

This seemed to diffuse some of the anger Jet had built up towards him. He stopped glaring angrily at least. Now he just seemed to be thinking real hard about something but Zuko couldn't imagine what. Maybe an escape plan. Suddenly a long and heavy sigh escaped from Jet's lips.

"The Fire Nation burned my whole village, those fires killed my Mom and I don't even know what happened to my Dad," he began, eying the young prince warily though not as hostilely as before. "But...you don't seem so bad I guess. You're not my friend just yet but I won't beat you up for now. Who's that kid, he's been staring since you came over."

Following Jet's now pointing finger, Zuko's eyes settled on Zaiden who was indeed staring this way. He smiled, waving at his cellmate and friend. In return the chestnut haired boy got up and sauntered over. Toph stood silently, observing the interactions between them. She was still cautious, undecided as to whether or not she wanted to let her guard down in front of this Fire Nation boy.

"Don't worry, he's not a bad guy."

"I'm Zaiden," he greeted, offering a quick casual wave towards Jet as he peered over at Toph briefly. "Just this guy's cellmate. He's been curious since he saw you two come in. Nice to meet you two.

A bell clanged somewhere nearby yet out of sight. It signaled the end of the supposed recess and the children who had been there long enough knew to file back into the prison quietly. Those who were new, Toph and Jet included just followed behind Zaiden and Zuko.

"I don't like this place," Toph spoke up loud enough for Jet, Zuko and Zaiden to hear. She hadn't yet mastered her bending so she couldn't quite feel the small vibrations of them nodding their heads in unison but she figured they agreed with her.

The rest of the way was traveled in silence, all of the children seemed afraid to speak up in case a guard heard them. They were supposed to stay quiet, behave, and cooperate to the full extent. Anyone resisting would be punished severely and all of them were terrified to find out what that meant. The earthbenders were all imprisoned on the second floor, the firebenders on the third, and the waterbenders on the fourth. So once they passed the second floor on the staircase, Toph and Jet were lead off and into their new cells. Zuko and Zaiden proceeded onwards, returning to their own cell before being locked in by a guard.

"I like them," Zuko smiled softly, momentarily forgetting he was imprisoned by the small satisfaction that he had made three friends already. Two of which were from the Earth Kingdom. Never in his whole eight years of life had he thought he would meet anyone outside of the Fire Nation, it almost made him giddy with excitement. Their lunch came and the pair ate quietly, only bits of small talk in between bites.

* * *

><p>Writing Toph is difficult. She's not OoC...but as a four year old...she is, sort of. Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm glad this isn't horrible. I'm not doing the story as much justice as I'd like but things never go from my head to paper (or computer screen) exactly the way I want them to. Reviews are loved, constructive criticism is even more loved.<p>

Note: I made some changed to the previous chapters. Those of you who read them before December 18th might want to at least glance over the first chapter again. I re-worked a better explanation, as well as some more back-story, into it. Hopefully that might pose to diffuse some of the confusion until I go on to reveal more in the story. Chapter one has the most changes. Chapter's two and this one only has a brief once over and some grammar and spelling mistakes corrected. Nothing major was changed.


	4. Or Not?

Capture The Avatar: Azulon's Plot

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of the characters. If I did, Zuko would've ended up with Katara not Mai.

Summary: When all of Fire Lord Azulon's efforts to locate the missing Avatar fail, he decides that the young Airbender must have died and been reborn. But with countless deaths of people from various nations, children included, he could no longer be certain that the Avatar would be a Waterbender. He ordered his troops across the nations, locating any child with exceptional bending skills for their age. Gathering them all up, he would locate the Avatar that way. With Ozai's suggestion of passing Iroh over as Fire Lord, Azulon orders his son Zuko not to be killed, but to join the thousands of children locked away in prison cells where he eventually meets the gang and few new faces along the way.

It took me a while to get this one out for a few reasons. One, I haven't slept in the past few days and from experience I know that my writing it atrocious when I'm half-zombified. So I waited until I got a good night's rest before attempting this. Two, I wanted to write out more of the plotline for myself so I knew where this would be going. Also by experience I know that if I head into a story without knowing where it's going to end up it gets sloppy towards the end, things don't add up, or I just get bored and quit before it's done. It also helped me decide how to divide up chapters, not entirely but it gave me a step up at least. I'll take the rest as it comes.

* * *

><p>If Zuko could see the sky from their cell, they would have known that it was close to nightfall or about the time they would soon be receiving dinner. The only tell-tale way to know what time it was in the prison was by the routines they always followed. Most times, they were allowed to get up whenever they pleased but breakfast was dropped off in their cells around nine. Then they were taken out for 'recess' at eleven for an hour, afterwords they were brought lunch and left alone until dinner. Most interrogations and tests were carried out after lunch between then and dinner. But since neither of them had been tested yet they didn't know that small tidbit of information, only that being caged without anything to do for six hours was the most boring thing in the whole world. They really didn't have a time where it was mandatory to go to sleep, most of the children just fell asleep as they became tired.<p>

Lunch had been over for about an hour now, or so they guessed. Time really dragged in the prison so for all they knew it could have been only half an hour. Instead of silence, the pair fell into a comfortable conversation. Zuko was no longer wary of his prison-mate and Zaiden seemed to enjoy his new friend's company just as much.

"So Zuko, you're Dad's a prince right? What's he like," Zaiden piped up, curious to know more about the royal child, and his family, that now shared a cell with him. Zuko's face fell into something between a deep frown and a scowl.

"He's a jerk," Zuko returned causing Zaiden to raise an eyebrow and stare, willing him to continue. "He treats me like I'm garbage and that my little sister Azula is better than me. She learned to firebend quicker than I did, she's still better than me, and she's mean. He always looks angry when I talk to him and he doesn't even talk to me a lot. He hates me."

Zaiden stayed quiet for a while, in case Zuko wanted to keep ranting but he didn't. When he had finished speaking, he averted his gaze to the floor looking miserable at the memory. Really Zaiden hadn't expected the man to be so much of a jerk to his own kid but everybody had their secrets he guessed.

"I never knew my Dad. I wonder which would be worse. Knowing he hated me or never knowing him at all," Zaiden started up the conversation once more. He never really talked about his parents to anyone, aside from telling them they were gone when curious minds inquired about the constant presence of his Grandmother. "He left when I was three. He used to write to us but then the letter came less and less until they stopped. My Mom missed him a lot while he was gone and she got sick. Grandma said it was because she missed him so much, the stress was making her body and mind sick. Grandma had to move in with us when Mom got so bad that she couldn't even leave her bed for too long."

Zuko looked up, seeing Zaiden staring off into space as he spoke. A mixture of hurt and sadness welled behind his copper eyes. He felt bad, thinking he wouldn't know what to do if his own Mother had ever gotten sick like that. She had been sick occasionally but the palace healers always did a good job nursing her back to health in no time. He couldn't imagine seeing her sick enough that she would be stuck in bed for more than a day or two to get better.

"Before I turned six she died. The doctors said she wasn't really sick, every time we asked them to come look at her. There wasn't anything they could find wrong with her...so I don't even understand why she died. She left me all alone with Grandma and so did Dad," Zaiden's voice shook by the end and his fists were clenched until they turned white. "It's not fair! Why couldn't Dad write to us, or come home so Mom wouldn't be sick anymore. Then she wouldn't have died."

"I'm sorry..."

"For what? You didn't do anything dumb-dumb," Zaiden mumbled, feeling ashamed that he blabbered on like a big baby. Zuko cringed inwardly at the casual nickname; Azula called him that all the time.

"Don't call me that," he whispered, looking miffed.

"Huh? Dumb-dumb? Why not?"

"My sister calls me that. She's says I'm stupid because I spend too much time with Mom, because I don't like to hit the turtle-ducks with rocks, because I can't firebend like she can," he growled.

"Oh, sorry. I don't think you're stupid and firebending is hard so it doesn't even matter that she can do it better; she's weird."

Zaiden and Zuko both broke out into grins and giggles, calling Azula a few more silly names before a comfortable silence washed over them. By now Zuko had found himself scooting over nearer to the fellow firebender, just a little. He didn't mind it anymore, nor was he worried that the other boy would hurt him.

"I miss my Mom," Zuko started, letting out a sigh as he pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them lazily.

"Me too," Zaiden responded, stretching out before curling back up into a more comfortable position.

"So how do you think they find out if someone's the Avatar? Can't they just do it when they find somebody, instead of taking everyone here?"

Zaiden only shrugged at the question, he hadn't the slightest clue about anything relating to the Avatar only that he had been missing since Sozin defeated the Air Nomads and wiped their entire civilization off the map. The silence fell over them once more but this time something was tugging at the back of Zuko's mind. The Avatar kept peace between all the nations, so surely Fire Lord Azulon wanted him to help the Fire Nation make peace with the rest of the nations. They were all being so stubborn about it, treating the Fire Nation like enemies and attacking them. Or so he read from some of Uncle's letter's home when he used to sit beside his Mother by the turtle-duck pond and listen to her read them. But the Avatar was hiding from them, he didn't want to help them make peace. How could he do that? Wasn't it his job?

Footsteps clacked against the metal flooring, sending a clang ahead of them and alerting the firebending pair to the guard's approach long before he even reached the door. It was good because it gave them plenty of time to stop whatever they were doing and move away from the door before he came. Keys jingled and slipped into the lock, the familiar sound no longer foreign to either of them now. Both boys now instinctively shielded their eyes from the barrage of blinding light that came when the door swung open, knowing they wouldn't have time to let their eyes adjust to the light to see anything useful before the door swung shut again. That was how it always was. This time, in it's wake was not dinner like the pair expected. In fact it wasn't even close to dinner time. This time it was another firebender; a girl.

Four amber colored eyes scrutinized the girl carefully, wondering just who she was and if she was safe to talk to or around. Occasionally a curious glance would be exchanged between the two of them while she had plopped herself down against the door of the cell. They both knew she couldn't see them yet and her eyes hadn't adjusted to the semi-darkness of the cell. She could vaguely be seen, better than they could at least since bits of light from the barred door window illuminated her head. From what they both knew, she was odd beyond anything they had ever seen. Her hair was red like the very fire they could bend. Finally Zaiden nudged Zuko in the side lightly with his elbow and smirked; it was time to have a little fun.

Both boys shifted in the opposite direction, away from each other, and just loud enough to startle the girl into whirling around again and trying desperately to see through the darkness. She stood up and backed against the door, much like Zuko had done when Zaiden scared him, clenching her fists tightly.

"Who are you! Come out coward! I'll fight you," she snarled. If they could see her eyes they would have noticed the ferocity in which she glared into the darkness. Deeming his fun over, Zaiden slipped into the light and Zuko followed suit making her gasp softly; she wasn't expecting two people to be in here. Her eyes narrowed at the pair of them but they couldn't see much more than her silhouette and a shine of fiery red of her hair. Zaiden lifted his hands, palms out in defense, showing her he meant no harm. Lots of kids who came here used their bending the first night if frightened or angry, it got them punished by the guards. Especially if it happened to make a lot of noise or hurt someone. "I said who are you, and you too! Where am I and why am I here?"

"You're in prison," Zuko stepped forward, making the girl flinch back and press against the door as if his very presence would burn her. "We all are. The guards are looking for the Avatar for Fire Lord Azulon."

"Avatar? I'm no Avatar, I don't believe you."

"It's true, I swear. They captured me and him and threw us in here just like you. Dunno why, but we're stuck here now," Zaiden stepped in, trying to reason with the girl before she went off like a bomb. He hated seeing kids dragged off kicking and screaming to be punished and he would stop it if he could. She seemed to deflate, sagging her shoulders and looking quite defeated in the process. "C'mon, get away from the door. If they catch you, you'll get in trouble."

"I don't care about them, they're jerks," she huffed but trudged over with the boys towards the opposing wall. She plopped herself down unceremoniously and let out a loud sigh that sounded much more like a grumble to the boys. Slowly, her eyes adjusted more to the lack of lighting and she peered between the two of them, scrutinizing Zuko before he eyes came to rest on Zaiden. Slowly, her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. "Zaiden! What're you doing here! It's been so long!"

It was now Zuko's turn to be completely and utterly confused. He looked to the chestnut-haired boy for answers but Zaiden was now grinning happily. Another turn rested his eyes on this new girl. Her hair really was red like fire but what startled him more was that her eyes weren't the usual golden color the decedents of the fire nation shared, nor the deep brown that came from diluted bloodlines; they were a bright emerald green. Was she not a firebender? Only people from the Earth Kingdom had green eyes like that.

"Yup it's me stupid. Took you long enough to figure it out, I mean we're only best friends," Zaiden teased, only to receive a sharp punch to the shoulder and a deep rooted glare. She looked genuinely pissed off. Zuko only watched the exchange, almost mortified. "Ow, what was that for?"

"You're the stupid one Zaiden! How could you play such a cruel joke on me! And why are you in here? Who's this guy," she shouted, causing Zaiden to lunge forward and cover her mouth with his hand before she could make any more noise.

"Stop that, if the guards come we're in big trouble. Seriously," he warned, looking more serious than Zuko had ever seen him in the day and a half he'd been there. His serious face melted back into a sly grin. "I mean, I know you have a hard time keeping your mouth shut but- Ow!"

The emerald eyed firebender had slugged him once more but stopped her yelling. She now was looking on at Zuko who seemed to shrink back a half inch, still cautious of her.

"I'm Keiraan, Zaiden's best friend. We come from the same village. Who're you?

"Zuko," the prince answered shyly, still studying the girl in front of him. After a minute of contemplating, he decided he really did want to ask his question. "Why's your hair red? And how come you have earthbender eyes?"

"Hehe, I'll never tell," Keiraan replied in a sing-song voice that made Zaiden plant his palm against his face with a shake of his head and a slight smirk.

* * *

><p>Reviews are nice, constructive criticism is better but I won't be greedy. Thanks for reading this guys, I'm glad it's somewhat enjoyable. Also in case anyone missed the small update I made to the last chapter's ending note, I wanted to let those of you who've read this story before yesterday's date that there's some additions made to chapter one. Chapter's two and three only had a few minor revisions but nothing was added to them, only corrections. Hopefully with what I added it will clear up a few things and ease some confusion until I delve deeper in the coming chapters.<p> 


	5. Cries Of The Tortured

Capture The Avatar: Azulon's Plot

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of the characters. If I did, Zuko would've ended up with Katara not Mai.

Summary: When all of Fire Lord Azulon's efforts to locate the missing Avatar fail, he decides that the young Airbender must have died and been reborn. But with countless deaths of people from various nations, children included, he could no longer be certain that the Avatar would be a Waterbender. He ordered his troops across the nations, locating any child with exceptional bending skills for their age. Gathering them all up, he would locate the Avatar that way. With Ozai's suggestion of passing Iroh over as Fire Lord, Azulon orders his son Zuko not to be killed, but to join the thousands of children locked away in prison cells where he eventually meets the gang and few new faces along the way.

Sorry about not updating sooner. The holidays ran away with me and I haven't gotten all settled down until now. As reward, this chapter is slightly longer this time. Not as much as I would like but I didn't want to stretch it unnecessarily; never works out well for me.

* * *

><p>The night had come and gone with no notable events, leaving the three Firebending children to eventually fall into a deep sleep wherever they sat. If they weren't in prison, it might have been a cute sight to see Zaiden propped up against the wall in the corner, Keiraan laying across his legs, and Zuko curled up on his side while resting his head on her stomach. However, even the cutest of sights didn't stir the heartstrings of the impassive guard that delivered breakfast the next morning.<p>

The tell-tale clanging of metal, keys and boots woke the trio in time to catch the door closing and three bowls of mush left in it's wake. Zaiden would've moved to gather his up first had he not been at the bottom of the pile. Zuko stirred much slower than the other two, blinking bleary eyes into recognizing his surroundings. Without giving him ample time to wake up, Keiraan nudged him off her and got up to stretch her legs allowing the chestnut-haired firebender to collect his breakfast.

"Ew, what is that? Baby food or something," the red-haired girl sneered, wrinkling her nose as the odd looking excuse for breakfast. Even being at the lower end of the social status got her better looking food that whatever was thrown into that bowl. "Does it even taste edible?"

"It's food, I'm not complaining," Zaiden replied, copper eyes flicking upwards towards his best friend. "Just eat it Kei."

Zuko, now finally alert, grabbed his own dish and picked at it. It was all he could do not to vomit the atrocity back up again. He glanced over at both his room mates, bickering on like some old married couple. Neither of them noticed, entranced in their own conversation.

"We get outside time soon, right? I need to feel the sun, I feel like all my energy is getting sucked out of me the longer I stay here," the amber-eyed prince piped up successfully interrupting their playful banter.

"Yeah, by the time we stomach down breakfast they'll probably come for us. Same thing, different day."

"We get to go outside? Really," Keiraan asked hopefully, her emerald eyes lighting up at the prospect. "Ugh, it's so dark in here...I wanna light something on fire so we can see darn it!"

"Yes and no...it's pretty much a metal cage outside," Zuko answered solemnly, returning to his breakfast. He felt less like eating today than yesterday, despite the appetite he actually had this time. Still, the young boy managed to force enough of it down without it coming back up violently. Keiraan seemed downtrodden by the comment but since it was true he wouldn't try to amend it with sugar-coating. There wasn't much of a bright side to the place no matter how he looked at it.

Their rather mundane morning was interrupted by the howling of a ear-splitting scream, followed by another. The stomping of the guard's boots told the trio that something was happening outside the cells. Keiraan perked up, curious, as Zuko shied away from the door. Even Zaiden seemed a bit perturbed by the sound. Finally the awkward silence among them was broken by the lone female of the group.

"Hey Zuko, Z come here for a second. Hurry up," she commanded, motioning for them to join her by the door albeit reluctantly. She placed a finger to her lips and smirked triumphantly then dropped her voice to a low whisper. "Zaiden, let me stand on your back, I want to see what's going on."

"But...," he started but gave up before he could even finish due to the icy glare being sent his way. With an irritated sigh he knelt down on his hands and knees before the red-head clamored on and stood on her tip-toes to see out of the barred window on the door. Before long, curiosity got the better of Zuko as well and he moved to climb on beside her. "Ugh...guys...you're heavy."

Outside the cell, several guards were gathered around two young children in blue parkas. Their skin was tanned and they looked rather similar, as Zuko saw it, possibly siblings. There was a girl and a boy and the girl had somehow managed to make ice form around the ankles of a few of the guards. She looked angry, so did the boy somewhat. More guards had shown up and began melting their co-workers out of their predicament as the children were detained.

"You killed my Mom! You killed her! Monsters," the girl shouted, angry and upset all at once. Her fists were balled up tightly even through her gloves and she looked on the verge of tears.

"Man that sucks," Keiraan whispered, not willing to get down just yet despite the possibility of severe punishment should they be seen. Zuko felt his insides shatter; her Mom was killed, by them? The guards of the Fire Nation? That didn't seem right, but then maybe the Mom did something really bad. Even still, his Mother always said it was bad to hurt and even worse to kill. She always scolded Azula when she threw rocks at the Turtle-Ducklings. He listened on in silence.

"Your Mother was lucky to get that. She should have just handed you both over like we asked and she would have still been alive. She brought it on herself. So shut your mouth little girl, it's about time we teach the two of you barbarians some manners," one of the guards sneered, his voice dripping with something almost deadly. It succeeded in quieting the girl and turning her look of indignation into fear. The boy had long since gone silent. After the last bits of ice were melted away, the pair was hauled off down the corridor and Zuko swore the screams to come would haunt his dreams forever.

Recess didn't come soon enough, leaving the trio shaken up by the time they reached the outside. Toph and Jet were by the same wall as the previous day and didn't immediately glare at them as they approached this time. Toph and Jet stayed relatively quiet as the trio approached, both wondering who this third person was. Jet could tell she was Fire Nation, but Toph could only guess for now.

"Hi guys," Zuko greeted with a small smile. Zaiden waved and Keiraan scrutinized the pair, concluding from their clothing that these two weren't from the Fire Nation. "This is-"

"I'm Keiraan, or Kei if you want. You're from the Earth Kingdom? Your clothes are green," she stated, staring at them longer.

"What of it," Toph demanded, frowning at the other girl. Keiraan shrugged in response but was soon nudged by Zuko who jerked his head towards the younger Earthbender. Confused, the redhead looked again before noticing the blank expression in the girl's clouded green eyes. It clicked and she almost smacked herself in the forehead with her palm.

"No reason. Just curious," she answered verbally this time. Toph seemed to deepen her frown at the answer but said nothing more. Instead she plopped down on the ground, keeping her feet firmly planted, and leaned against the wall.

Zaiden joined Jet in leaning against the wall as well. Even though they were pretty much free to do anything outside but bend, fight, or cause too much of a ruckus, none of the kids actually had the courage to relax and play. Many just enjoyed the fresh air and sat around chatting quietly. Zuko found himself sitting down on the ground as well, enjoying the semi-comfortable silence between them.

"So...did you guys hear the stuff from earlier," the prince piped up, glancing around.

"I heard it. What was that? It sounded like someone killing a racoon-monkey," Toph jumped in.

"I heard it too but when I looked I couldn't see anything."

"Two Water-Benders attacked the guards and got dragged away. I wonder if they're ok," Zuko continued looking around the yard for the pair. "It was the most awful screaming I've ever heard..."

"Hey wait, look! Over there," Keiraan chirped, pointing across the yard to the two tanned children. They were separated from the rest of the kids in a small cage-like enclosure. "C'mon then, let's go talk to 'em."

Before any of them could protest, Zaiden especially who looked more than uncomfortable with the idea, Keiraan had bolted from their area and across the yard. Not one to leave his best friend on her own, Zaiden exchanged glances with Zuko before getting up to follow. Jet, Zuko, and Toph went along after, deciding they would rather not get left behind. Keiraan stopped short in front of the cage and stared in at the two siblings. They were huddled together; the girl was crying and the boy hugged her gently to avoid irritating the marks and burns that littered her face. She probably had more but her thick blue parka covered everything else. Suddenly the boy looked up and glared as fiercely as he could.

"Are you guys ok," Keiraan wasted no time asking, choosing to ignore the look of daggers he was giving her. Zaiden joined them, followed by the remaining three. Aside from Toph, they all looked equally horrified by the wounds covering the girl's face.

"They...they burned you!" Zuko ground out in a mixture of disbelief and anger. He couldn't believe the soldiers of his nation were hurting people like this. Even if the water tribe was supposed to be full of savages and barbarians; she was a little kid just like him. Did his Mother and Father know that the soldiers were doing this to people? "I-I'm sorry. What are your names?"

"I'm Sokka, this is my little sister Katara. I told her not to do it but she got mad and she did some water bendy magic when they were bringing us in. They didn't like that so much," the boy answered, his sister Katara still whimpered weakly in his arms. She wouldn't open her eyes, Zuko didn't blame her. "If I still had my boomerang I'd...I'd give 'em a good hiyah. They didn't even listen to me, it's all my fault."

"Don't worry," Zuko said confidently, balling his fists up tightly. "I'll tell my Mother and Father when they come get me. They make this stop; this is wrong!"

Toph, Jet, and Sokka stared expectantly at the young prince's seriousness. Each of them wondered just how exactly he was going to pull that one off. Who knew if their parents would come to get any of them much less him. Katara whimpered lightly as Sokka's hand shifted against her.

"How are your parents going to do anything about us being stuck here," Sokka questioned, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Oh, 'cuz my Grandpa is the Fire Lord. I'll tell him and he'll make them stop. Or I'll have my Mother do it."

Zuko was much too happy about the fact to notice the uncertain looks coming from Sokka, Katara's cringe and the steps backwards Jet and Toph made. He never realized the rest of the world didn't have the same view of his nation that he did.

Meanwhile back in the Fire Nation palace, Ursa had confronted Ozai. It was after the afternoon's war meeting when he departed from the throne room with several of the generals. Stepping out from behind a pillar, the dark haired woman cleared her throne delicately catching Ozai's attention as well as a few others. With a wave of his hand, the other general's left him alone with his wife without a second glance. The Fire Prince stared expectantly at his wife, waiting for whatever she came for to come out.

"Ozai...you must go to the Fire Lord. Zuko... Zuko needs to be brought back already. Whatever this is, he's in no more danger with us than he is with a bunch of soldiers. Please Ozai, you are his son, talk to him," Ursa begged, sad eyes meeting those of her husband's. Ozai turned away, frowning deeply leaving his wife to struggle holding back the tears that bit at the back of her eyes.

"I cannot do that Ursa. Fire Lord Azulon's word is law, it is final. Zuko is to be somewhere else, I cannot change that no matter how much I ask, plead, or beg," he spoke finally. His words shattered her; the tears she had been holding back now spilled over and down her cheeks. In a sad effort to be of some comfort to his wife, Ozai looked back to her. "Do not fret, we still have one child left. A prodigy at that; there's nothing to worry about. Zuko's absence will not hinder me being the one to take the throne."

Those words horrified Ursa. Her husband, the man she loved with all her heart, the man who loved his children dearly and would fight for them with all his strength was now tossing one aside for a glimpse at the throne. Hurt and angry, she pulled herself from him and hurried down the hallway. She didn't even look back. Iroh was supposed to be returning soon. Iroh would help her get her little Zuko back. Wherever he was, she would find him and bring him home safe. Without both her children, she could not continue to live like this.

Sure enough Iroh was on a warship heading fast for shore, soon to cast anchor in the port of the capital. Still grieving over the loss of his beloved and only son, he stayed below deck to wallow in his own misery. The fake smile he placed upon his face like a mask in front of his shipmates fell away while he was alone. He could allow himself to feel the full extent of his anguish only in those few moments when no one was around.

Dressed in far less valuable, nor fashionable clothing, Ursa set out for the town without an escort or guard. This sort of thing had to be kept secret. If anyone, her husband included, knew of her plans she would surely be tried for treason and sentenced to death. As Ozai had said; Azulon's word was law, it was absolute. Knowingly she was going against those words but not an ounce of regret plagued her as she hurried for the port.

Iroh's ship had landed, anchored up and been tied down, as he stepped out of the belly of the ship and into the warm air, feeling the sunlight recharge what little energy he had. It was when he stepped down the ramp and onto the docks that a cloaked woman appeared in front of him panting heavily. Closer inspection made his eyes widen and he quickly pulled her away from the open area and into a more closed space.

"Lady Ursa, what are you doing here?" He placed both hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes in confusion.

"Prince Iroh...I beg of you, I need your help," her voice was forced because she was still out of breath. Iroh could not mistake the hint of desperation in those words though. Without waiting to hear what it was, he nodded.

"Anything my dear."

* * *

><p>Poor Katara! T^T I hated doing that to her, but...I needed to speed up the meetings as well as move along the plot. The story is unfolding slightly and some things while essentially AU will line up with Canon events. You'll see why later.<p> 


	6. Sokka's Plan, Ursa's Determination

Capture The Avatar: Azulon's Plot

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of the characters. If I did, Zuko would've ended up with Katara not Mai.

Summary: When all of Fire Lord Azulon's efforts to locate the missing Avatar fail, he decides that the young Airbender must have died and been reborn. But with countless deaths of people from various nations, children included, he could no longer be certain that the Avatar would be a Waterbender. He ordered his troops across the nations, locating any child with exceptional bending skills for their age. Gathering them all up, he would locate the Avatar that way. With Ozai's suggestion of passing Iroh over as Fire Lord, Azulon orders his son Zuko not to be killed, but to join the thousands of children locked away in prison cells where he eventually meets the gang and few new faces along the way.

* * *

><p>Ursa was feeling antsy, sitting in such a lowly tea shop much like a peasant did. It wasn't her status that she was worried about, nor her safety, it was the fact that she may be recognized any moment and word would spread back to the Fire Lord and her husband. Surely either of them would figure out right away why she was going to such lengths to contact Iroh outside of the palace since the general made no attempt to hide his own identity.<p>

The general in question sipped his tea silently, a soft yet perplexed look on his face. His eyes stayed closed but he was very much aware of his surroundings and the very on-edge sister-in-law sitting before him. If there was one thing he could tell about the woman was that she was exhausting much of her energy just to keep from trembling and breaking down. Whatever she was about to tell him would probably shake him just as much but he was prepared.

"What is it that's causing you so much grief," Iroh inquired, pressing her to come out with this before something else prevented her. She looked up, away from her hands she was wringing nervously in her lap, staring into his eyes. Her own were filling with so many emotions; dread, fear, uncertainty, but most of all a tiny sliver of hope. Iroh saw this and smiled encouragingly.

"Zuko, he's been taken away. They came in the night just a few days ago now, saying there was an attack and that my Zuko was the target. The Fire Lord had ordered him to be taken somewhere safe. But I, I can't shake this feeling that something is amiss. I need my son back, and he needs me. The safest place he could ever be is at home," she whispered, afraid someone would overhear. Immediately Iroh realized the unsettling feeling this situation warranted. As Fire Lord Azulon's son, heir to the throne, and a highly skilled general Iroh knew much about what was going on in terms of their war plans. He, begrudgingly, knew of the children being stripped from their homes and the needless slaughter carried out to further this. A frown set heavily across his features.

"I see...this is a dilemma then. And I take it you want my help in convincing the Fire Lord to return your son to you?"

Ursa nodded once, still staring right at home. Her determination shone through all the wavering emotions bottled up inside her and that was all Iroh needed to see before he smiled yet again and took another sip of his tea.

"Then I will help you of course," he began preparing himself to divulge some pertinent information. "Fire Lord Azulon is desperate to seek the Avatar. Believing him to be a young child somewhere, he has been capturing bending children for interrogation. I heard nothing about an attack of any kind on the capital."

Ursa tensed; had she been lied to? If Zuko was not under attack, then why was he ordered to be taken somewhere safe? Was he even safe? The other piece of information Iroh relayed was equally as disturbing. Children being swiped from their homes was a heinous crime; a child needed it's mother as much as a mother needed her child. It all clicked perfectly into place in her mind. The children, Zuko's abduction; was her own son under suspicion of being the Avatar? Or was it something else that had her child taken from her?

"Do you think he might be the Avatar, General Iroh?"

"No. He is not, I'm sure of it. Nonetheless I will go to the Fire Lord and ask him to release Zuko. We'll see how it goes from there," Iroh told her, finishing the last of his tea quietly. Ursa nodded, feeling scared and hopeful.

Meanwhile as night fell, the trio of Fire-Bending children were sound asleep in their cell. This time they were not in a haphazard heap, but all leaned up against each other while propped on the wall. An uncomfortable position surely but nothing in the cell could be called comfortable; none of them were complaining. Keiraan and Zaiden slept almost normally but something was bothering Zuko. He would have been tossing and turning if he wasn't trying his hardest not to disturb the other two beside him.

If the Fire Nation's soldiers really were just kidnapping kids and killing their parents, he felt sick just thinking about it, then everything he had been taught was a lie. But how could it be? Their nation was one of greatness, Azulon wanted to share it with the rest of the impoverished world just like Fire Lord Sozin before him. But the world was stubborn and too proud to accept their help so they fought with them, at least that's what he had been taught. How could stealing kids possibly be helping the rest of the world? How could killing their parents and burning their villages possibly be helping anyone? Turmoil whirled and raged inside the pit of his stomach, threatening to make him vomit at the sheer force of it more so than the terrible food he was forced to eat here.

Eventually he fell into a restless sleep, haunted by people he barely knew judging him, by his Mother's figure, his sister, his father. He felt helpless under their gazes. It was all a dream, he knew somewhere deep inside, but the pain of the thought drowned out his sense of reason. Unbeknownst to his new comrades Zuko had made himself a promise that night, as his dreams were nothing but horrible nightmares, as everything he had ever known twisted into an unimaginable form under his eyelids; He would get them out of there. How was still the question but he would do it nonetheless no matter what it took.

Morning stretched over the horizon of the capital, it's warming energy gave Ursa the power to get out of bed that morning. The nervousness that had overtaken her last night was back in full force wondering if Iroh had succeeded. Right now he was her only hope of getting her son back. If what he was saying was true then there was no attack; something made the Fire Lord take her son away.

After getting Azula out of bed, ordering maids to help her get ready for the day, eating through a silent breakfast, then finally sending the little rambunctious child off to her studies with the tutors, Ursa threw on another cloak and headed out of the palace once more. Though Iroh was living within the palace walls, they could not risk meeting inside the walls. The walls had ears, they had eyes, and they certainly wouldn't hide her secret if they knew.

Not many bothered to look at the cloaked woman as she traveled through the city, heading for the lowly tea shop in the southern most sector. Iroh was already present when she entered. His features were easily distinguishable from afar but that mostly came from years of knowing the man personally as well. He didn't turn to greet her as she sat across from him. Once again, his eyes were closed as he sipped his jasmine tea.

"It is not good, the Fire Lord refuses to release Zuko. From what I understand, my brother attempted to steal my place on the throne by convincing him that my bloodline was finished with the death of Lu Ten. What has happened to Zuko is his punishment," Iroh said gravely, finally opening his eyes to look at the grieving mother in front of him.

"_You requested an audience with me Prince Iroh, what is it you want?"_

_Iroh knelt respectfully in front of Fire Lord Azulon, bowing his head deeply before he spoke up. Golden eyes looked up at the man, his jolly demeanor masking his true feelings. If he wouldn't revoke whatever had been placed upon his young nephew, he would find out why and how to undo it himself._

"_I have noticed that my nephew is missing. Upon speaking with his Mother, she has told me you had him placed under special protection after an attack on his life. However I feel he would be much safer within the walls of the palace under his own parents protection."_

"_I'm afraid Iroh, that what you ask of me is impossible. I will not allow Zuko to return," the Fire Lord's voice echoed through the chamber. "The attack was but a ruse, your brother has wronged you and disgraced me suggesting he take the throne in your stead. He had to be punished."_

Remembered that small bit of their conversation put a heavy weight on Iroh's heart. He had not been happy with Fire Lord Sozin, nor Azulon's way of ruling but he did feel a great pride in his nation. Essentially, helping Ursa bring Zuko back was treason; not that he was unwilling. His nephew meant as much to him as he did to Ursa.

"What does this mean then...," the raven-haired woman spoke shakily. She was lied to by Ozai and Azulon. Wherever Zuko was, he may not be as safe as they said. If anyone found out he was the Grandson of the Fire Lord and nephew to the next Fire Lord there was no telling what might happen to him. She knew Zuko was not the type of child to gloat about his status, unlike Azula who took after Ozai, but even mentioning his status could put his life in jeopardy. "Do you know where they have taken Zuko?"

"I have an idea. But it may be a long shot."

"I'll do anything Iroh, any-" Iroh held up his hand to stop her mid-sentence.

"I know," the older man let out a sigh and took another sip of his tea. It usually worked wonders in calming him down. He knew he was calm but somehow he didn't _feel_ calm. "The children that have been captured were taken to a new prison building built on one of the outer islands. If my guess is correct; then he is there as well."

"In a _prison,_" she cried in a hoarse whisper, appalled at the thought. Iroh looked sympathetic but kept talking.

"I will commandeer a small ship and retrieve Zuko from the prison. You should stay here in case anything happens. I'll leave as soon as possible, if I sail at top speed we can cut the time it takes to get there and back as much as half," Iroh sighed. He couldn't risk her safety in this. He agreed to help; he would go alone. Ursa apparently had other plans in the matter.

"Absolutely not, I asked you to help me with this not do it for me. I'm coming with you to get my son."

"You realize the consequences in this if the Fire Lord finds out..."

"Of course, don't worry. I have a plan of my own regarding that." A small smile formed across her lips as she spoke but it slipped away almost immediately.

The sun was high, signifying it was about mid-day already when the pair emerged from the tea shop and went their separate ways to prepare for the self-appointed mission ahead.

Recess began at the prison, children filed out into the yard quietly too fearful of the guards at ever corner to start their chatter and whispers before they were safely outside. It was ironic, safety in a place like this, but unless you were outside or alone in your cell you weren't safe. Many guards grew bored with their repetitive job requirements and decided to spice it up on occasion by instigating some of the naive children, the punishing them afterwords.

Zuko, Zaiden, and Keiraan filed out along with the crowd meeting up with Toph and Jet soon enough. Despite their initial thoughts of Katara and Sokka being in solitary again, they soon found them out and about with the others. Katara's shape was still worse for wear but she looked much better than the previous day. Reluctantly, the two water-tribe children joined the small group in their now usual spot by the wall.

Sokka broke out into a mischievous grin when they were all settled and the guards shut them in, leaving only the guards posted up high on the walls to watch the large crowd. There wasn't a lot of need for heavy guarding, the children were all too frightened to attempt anything. Their wills had been broken the day they were taken from their parents; no breaking really needed to be done often once inside the prison. A few cheeky ones would crop up here and there but they all gave in relatively quickly, unable to handle pain well.

"So, I got an idea. We're going to break out of here!" he chirped, still grinning happily. It seemed to be a little to loud and a few curious onlookers stopped their quiet conversations to peer over at them.

"Shh!" The rest of the group urged.

"That's ridiculous, no one can escape from here. Haven't you seen all the guards? Didn't you see what they did to your sister," Zaiden chimed in, skeptical of the whole idea.

"All the more reason to get out now. Listen, they don't think we're going to escape, so that's why this will work. All we have to do is get past the walls. Then there's the ocean. If we can climb on a ship that's setting sail, then we can get away before they realize we're gone and stop the ships from leaving. Once we're on the ship we just have to hide until it lands. We'll be home free!"

"I don't know...that sounds kind of iffy," Keiraan added, raising an eyebrow. She was all for the idea of getting out but this plan seemed a bit loose. Surely it couldn't be that easy to get out or no one would be prisoner here. Sokka did have a point though, none of the guards expected them to try escaping. Despite being rough and cruel on occasion, the guards weren't as on edge as they should have been guarding a prison.

"Don't worry guys, I got this. Trust me."

"_Sure_ you do Snoozles," Toph scoffed, obviously doubting the older boy's ability to plan ahead. She didn't say she wasn't against it though.

"I'm alright with it," Zuko broke through the murmurs of insecurity. "We've got to try anyway, right?"

The others were silent for a while, debating whether or not they wanted a part in it. Zuko looked to Sokka, nodding slightly. He was in. Together they looked towards the others for their answers. Jet, who had been relatively quiet throughout the whole thing, smiled and nodded as well. Zaiden, Keiraan, Katara and Toph still looked torn. Despite the sounds around them, the silence between them was deafening.

"Count me in. I hate it here," Keiraan said with a quick grin.

"I hate it here too. I'm coming," Toph agreed.

"If Sokka's going, I'm going too," Katara spoke quietly, still seeming unsure about the whole thing.

"Alright, I guess count me in too," Zaiden joined in finally. "We're going to have to see how the ships come in and figure out if there's a pattern. If they just come in randomly then it would be a gamble whether or not one will be there when we go otherwise."

"Don't worry, it's going to work guys," Sokka assured them, looking confident in his decision.

The gate through the outer wall opened, another shipment of children had arrived it seemed. Guards gathered, shoving the frightened little ones through the gate. The rest of the prisoners stopped their chatter, watching with fear and curiosity. Using the opportunity, Zaiden kept his eyes trained on the ship beyond the wall the rest of their time in the yard. So far, it hadn't left even as they all said their good-bye's and filed back inside.

Back in the capital, Iroh's preparations were complete for his journey ahead. He paid a man who could navigate a ship quite well to take him there and keep his mouth shut. It was risky, but he really didn't want to resort to doing it himself. He and Ursa had to be ready once they landed. The trip normally took a day and a half's trip at a relatively normal pace. If set at full speed, they would have just enough power to get them there and back in the same time, give or take an hour or so. It all depended on how quickly they could locate Zuko and eliminate their obstacles. He waited by the docks for Ursa to show, she said she was coming and he would not deny her regardless of how foolish he thought it was.

Ursa was back at the palace, she had nothing important to bring along for the trip but something else made her return early. She had a plan of her own she hadn't discussed with Iroh beforehand. He would have stopped her if she had. The first thing she did was search out her husband who was once again just leaving a war meeting. It wasn't surprising to her; that was all he seemed to do lately. Catching his attention, she motioned for him to talk with her in private.

"What is it Ursa," he asked, eying his wife.

"I know we can't do anything about Zuko being gone but I have been feeling rather stressed lately. I have decided to spend a few nights at our vacation house on Ember Islands to regain my composure. Iroh heard me talking about it and offered to bring me there as he went on a short trip himself," she told him, hoping this lie would hold itself up. Nervousness bubbled inside her, fearing he would see through her ruse. "I don't want to bother you with all the meetings you've had lately so I'm fine with going on my own."

"Good, good," Ozai smiled. At first he thought she would want him to speak to the Fire Lord again about Zuko. He couldn't do that, nor could he tell her why. The fact that she wanted to spend a little time relaxing would surely make her see things his way. They still had Azula, that was enough.

"I shall take my leave then. Goodbye Ozai."

Ozai walked away, rejoining the other generals. Ursa only smiled to herself, feeling triumphant momentarily before she hurried away to finish up her business. It was nearly time to meet Iroh.

Iroh saw her as she approached, using the same cloak she had during their previous meets outside of the palace. She hurried forward and when she met him by the boat, they boarded quickly and silently. The less spoken, the better. With the afternoon sun still high in the sky, they departed.

* * *

><p>This marks the beginning for Sokka's tendency to make horrible escape plans that never actually go according to plan. Haha~ Thanks for all the praise and encouragement from everyone.<p> 


	7. The Escape

Capture The Avatar: Azulon's Plot

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of the characters. If I did, Zuko would've ended up with Katara not Mai.

Summary: When all of Fire Lord Azulon's efforts to locate the missing Avatar fail, he decides that the young Airbender must have died and been reborn. But with countless deaths of people from various nations, children included, he could no longer be certain that the Avatar would be a Waterbender. He ordered his troops across the nations, locating any child with exceptional bending skills for their age. Gathering them all up, he would locate the Avatar that way. With Ozai's suggestion of passing Iroh over as Fire Lord, Azulon orders his son Zuko not to be killed, but to join the thousands of children locked away in prison cells where he eventually meets the gang and few new faces along the way.

Iroh sat quietly on the deck of the vessel meditating. A long forgotten tea kettle and cup sat beside him. Despite cutting their trip time in half, it was rather time consuming. With lack of anything better to do he had sat down to prepare hours ago and had not moved since. His breaths were even and relaxed, almost as though he was asleep sitting up, but any well-trained person of the Fire Nation knew this was the best way to train yourself psychologically.

Ursa, however, was a little more restless in their voyage. Since setting off she had moved from her own personal room, to the deck, then to the kitchen, then back to her room, finally she settled to wander the ships innards aimlessly. Iroh had urged her to sleep until they arrived at least, feeling a twisted knot in the pit of his stomach as he watched her suffer so terribly, but she refused. He understood; it was hard for him to sleep because of Lu Ten, knowing her child was still in danger was wracking on her nerves. It would likely only cause her to get a restless and otherwise pointless sleep anyway.

Back in the prison, the small group of children were in complete concentration sitting in the circle outside. Their time outside was coming to an end quickly and they had to formulate some sort of solid plan; or at least as solid as a bunch of seven and eight-year-old's could.

"Alright, so once we start filing back in to our rooms. Everyone's got to find a way to separate from the group and find a place to hide. Once everyone is back in their rooms and the guards are gone, we'll sneak out and hitch a ride on that ship. It can't be leaving yet; the crew on-board has to rest before they leave," Sokka explained, completely serious now. The rest of the miss-matched group sat around him, listening carefully. Each of them knew they only had one shot at this and the consequences for failing would be worse than listening to Katara's cries again.

"What if one of us can't get away," Zuko piped up, curious and worried all the same. Sokka frowned, he didn't want to leave anyone behind but if one of them couldn't make it; they would likely be caught, miss the ship, or both. In the end he didn't answer and Zuko figured that he knew why. If one of them couldn't get away, that was it. It might be Sokka's plan but they all had to do their part. If one of them failed, then that was the end of it for them.

"You get left behind," Toph felt no remorse in chiming in for him. She might have been glad at that point that her eyes couldn't tell her that no one was thankful for her elaboration of the water tribe boy's silence. A small pout crossed her lips, "So don't mess up."

Their time in the yard dwindled and the soldiers began to assemble by the doors. Slowly the mass of children in the yard stopped their hushed conversations and their various activities to shuffle back into their cages. With an unsure glance, Zuko stood along with the rest of the group; he was scared. The rest of them didn't look too thrilled either but he didn't want to look like a big baby, so he said nothing as he followed after Zaiden in the river of kids moving forward.

The raven-haired boy couldn't help but duck as he walked past one of the guards. He felt so nervous, it was as if all his plans were obvious to all the soldiers and they were just waiting to catch them. Nonetheless, when Zaiden and Keiraan slipped away from the crowds, dragging him by his arm, they were completely unnoticed. The threesome hurried down the hallway and away from the crowd, turning down a dark corridor. With barely enough light to see, they all figured this was the safest place to hide out until everyone was back in their rooms. Now all they had to do was wait; wait and hope that Toph, Sokka, Katara, and Jet all made it away like they did. If not, their plans were ruined. Zuko wasn't sure he had it in him to leave everyone else behind.

Each of them were too frightened to speak, even in whispered. They sat against the wall in the shadows, huddled together. Zuko could have sword he saw Keiraan shaking, but it really was too dark to tell. Almost as dark as their cell when the sun went down. What was this corridor anyway? Why was it so dark? He almost didn't want to know; whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

The sounds of footsteps eventually died down, leaving nothing but the occasional echo from anything that moved to travel through the abandoned halls. With everyone back in their cells now, the guards were probably going off to eat or rest. At least, they hoped so.

Zaiden tapped Keiraan's shoulder, then Zuko's and they rose tip-toeing back the way they came. Every light clang on the metal beneath their feet made them jump, every drip of water from the piping overhead made them stop and look around in case anyone else heard but so far no one had noticed their disappearance. The path winded, leading them back in the direction of the yard. Just when they thought no one else had made it out, Jet and Toph came out of another hall to join them looking just as shaken and nervous as they were.

Zuko peered around once more, both to scan for guards and also to look for Sokka and Katara as they pressed forward. Every nerve was on edge, he almost felt like he couldn't breathe. This was nothing like training or even sparring with someone else; he felt sick. Ahead was the doors leading outside into the yard where the front gate was located. Just in the nick of time, Sokka and Katara crawled out of a vent near the floor, dirty and grinning.

"We should hurry," Sokka whispered, dusting himself off and taking hold of his sister's hand; he didn't want to get separated. The rest of them nodded, too afraid to use their voices. It was almost odd to them how no guards were around. Maybe they really were all resting and having their dinners. Over and over Zuko kept telling himself; almost there. If they could just get outside without being noticed, everything would be ok.

"Wait, don't move guys. I hear something," Toph whispered urgently. The group halted abruptly, waiting to hear what the younger girl was hearing.

"I don't hear anything. You sure you're not imagining it?" Sokka grumbled, straining to hear even a tiny sound.

"No, really. Someone's coming. Let's go!"

Bolting for the door, the haphazard group made no attempt to be silent as they scrambled to get outside. The door was only feet away, they could make it out before anyone caught sight of them. Jet reached the door first, throwing it open with all his strength before pulling Toph through it with him. Then the water tribe duo went through after, followed by the trio of fire-benders. That was it, they were outside. Now they only had to make it across the yard to the gate. It was like they were home free already.

"Geez I thought we'd never get out," Keiraan piped up, letting out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"No kidding. Let's just get on that boat already, I don't even want to walk another step," Sokka chimed in. He couldn't believe it. His plan was working; they were almost there and nothing had gone wrong. For the first time in his life, one of his plans was going to work out the way he wanted it to. The thought brought a bright grin to his lips.

"Alright, c'mon already before they find us. They've got to figure out we're all missing sooner or later. I'd rather it be later when we're hidden on the boat and it's gone from the dock," Zaiden grumbled, itching to hurry it up. Unlike the rest of them; he didn't feel the least bit safer out here than he did inside.

The yard seemed deserted. Not a guard or kid in sight, just the sea of metal. Zaiden went forward, ready to get out of there with or without the rest of them. After all, they weren't out of the woods yet. This prompted the rest of the to file onward, chattering between themselves.

"Think we'll make it," Zuko asked the other fire-bending male, walking in step with him near the front of the group. Zaiden only shrugged back, not reassuring the young prince of anything.

"Halt! I said halt! Break-out, break-out! I need back-up in the yard!"

At the shout, they all turned around to find a guard up on top of the wall. They hadn't checked to see if the coast was clear before they had gone on. Zuko and Zaiden took off running, they could make it to the gate before the guards made it down there. The rest of them followed suit, all conversations ceased and the panic returned.

"Crap," Zaiden growled, reaching the gate. It was still locked but the gate didn't fit together right. If they could just push it, there would be enough space to fit through. "Guys, I'll push. Go!"

Toph went through first, followed by both the water tribe kids, Zuko hesitated before going over to the other boy, leaning against the gate to push it open further. Guards came rushing out of the door, heading straight for them.

"Hurry up, go! You too Zuko, I'll hold it until you guys get through. I'll be right behind you guys."

Zuko nodded, slipping through the small space between the two doors and leaving the gate behind as he ran.

LibreOffice does not like Avatar vocabulary. There's red squiggles everywhere and it's confusing me from actually editing my work. Haha. It believes Katara should be Karate, Sokka is Saga or Soak, and I got so sick of editing Zuko he's been permanently added to the dictionary. Still not happy with Toph's persona... Also, my apologies for the very long gap in updating. Something happened to my computer out of nowhere. A memory leak completely messed it up and made the internet practically inaccesible. So to remedy, I reformatted it after two months of trying to just ignore the constant freezing. However what I though I had securely saved on a removable hard drive was not-so-safe and in fact, not-so-there either. Alas, I had to rewrite my story notes and outline before continuing on. So I was seriously irritated and didn't even bother for a while.


End file.
